Protobothrops tokarensis
Japanese name: トカラハブ
Chinese name: 寶島原矛頭蝮
English name: Tokara Habu
Origin: Tokara Islands (Takarajima, Kodakarajima)
The Tokara Habu is an endemic species restricted to Takarajima and Kodakarajima. Species of the genus Protobothrops do not occur beyond the deep sea trench between Kodakarajima and Akusekijima, a biogeographic boundary known as the “Watase Line.” This snake measures about 70–120 cm in length, making it smaller and less venomous than the Habu (Protobothrops flavoviridis) of the Okinawa and Amami Islands. Nevertheless, on remote islands with limited medical facilities, it can still pose a life-threatening danger to residents, and individuals are often killed when encountered.
Two distinct color morphs are known in this species: a pale form and a dark form. In one night of observation, I recorded four pale individuals and two dark individuals.
